Advocates say there is still plenty of opportunity to extend the filing deadline for federal benefits, which is currently the first week of January. And President Obama is in their corner.

"We need to make sure that millions of workers who are still pounding the pavement looking for jobs to support their families are not denied needed unemployment benefits," Obama said Tuesday upon signing the debt deal legislation.

But getting another extension past lawmakers will not be easy. Federal emergency benefits began in June 2008 and have been increased or extended eight times since then, including on four occasions last year. When Congress passed a 13-month extension in December, it was thought by some to be the last.

Jobless_in_Ma wrote:Extending the deadline is a must. Any new extension MUST include 99ers.

It better. Most of us have been without for over a year, and we are the least employable of everyone that is out of work due to the length of our unemployment.

When are they going to get it that putting money in people's pockets via UI will cause them the spend and stimulate the economy! If they create jobs, the money comes into the economy in the form of income taxes. Money goes into SS and Medicare to keep them solvent. Also, I hate when people knock Medicare like they think it is totally free. People forget that even if you are on Medicare, that is not enough. You still have that 20% Part B that it does not cover. Most Medicare beneficiaries I know have to purchase a supplement plan and these are expensive also. Many seniors need to use some of their SS money to buy these plans. With no cost of living increases, they may not be able to do this.

Jobless_in_Ma wrote:Extending the deadline is a must. Any new extension MUST include 99ers.

It better. Most of us have been without for over a year, and we are the least employable of everyone that is out of work due to the length of our unemployment.

When are they going to get it that putting money in people's pockets via UI will cause them the spend and stimulate the economy! If they create jobs, the money comes into the economy in the form of income taxes. Money goes into SS and Medicare to keep them solvent. Also, I hate when people knock Medicare like they think it is totally free. People forget that even if you are on Medicare, that is not enough. You still have that 20% Part B that it does not cover. Most Medicare beneficiaries I know have to purchase a supplement plan and these are expensive also. Many seniors need to use some of their SS money to buy these plans. With no cost of living increases, they may not be able to do this.

My mom just renewed her health insurance policy to cover what Medicare doesn't at a cost of over $200 a month. Dr. visit co-pays and meds, even with this, are outrageous.

Now, the Tea Party has "town halls" planned to push their Medicare voucher agenda:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/03/tea-party-medicare-paul-ryan_n_917347.html

Jobless_in_Ma wrote:Extending the deadline is a must. Any new extension MUST include 99ers.

It better. Most of us have been without for over a year, and we are the least employable of everyone that is out of work due to the length of our unemployment.

When are they going to get it that putting money in people's pockets via UI will cause them the spend and stimulate the economy! If they create jobs, the money comes into the economy in the form of income taxes. Money goes into SS and Medicare to keep them solvent. Also, I hate when people knock Medicare like they think it is totally free. People forget that even if you are on Medicare, that is not enough. You still have that 20% Part B that it does not cover. Most Medicare beneficiaries I know have to purchase a supplement plan and these are expensive also. Many seniors need to use some of their SS money to buy these plans. With no cost of living increases, they may not be able to do this.

My mom just renewed her health insurance policy to cover what Medicare doesn't at a cost of over $200 a month. Dr. visit co-pays and meds, even with this, are outrageous.

Now, the Tea Party has "town halls" planned to push their Medicare voucher agenda:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/03/tea-party-medicare-paul-ryan_n_917347.html

I hear you Desperate! I went through this with my Mom & Dad. They are deceased now, but it was hardship having to get one of those policies. It was also a blessing because they both ended up in the hospital a few times. If they did not have that supplemental insurance, they would have ended up bankrupt and in a nursing home if I was not there to take care of them. I also heard that Senator Lieberman wants to cut Social Security so they can add to the Defense. If he thinks Seniors and the future recipients are going to stand for that, I got a piece of land to sell him!

Jobless_in_Ma wrote:Extending the deadline is a must. Any new extension MUST include 99ers.

It better. Most of us have been without for over a year, and we are the least employable of everyone that is out of work due to the length of our unemployment.

When are they going to get it that putting money in people's pockets via UI will cause them the spend and stimulate the economy! If they create jobs, the money comes into the economy in the form of income taxes. Money goes into SS and Medicare to keep them solvent. Also, I hate when people knock Medicare like they think it is totally free. People forget that even if you are on Medicare, that is not enough. You still have that 20% Part B that it does not cover. Most Medicare beneficiaries I know have to purchase a supplement plan and these are expensive also. Many seniors need to use some of their SS money to buy these plans. With no cost of living increases, they may not be able to do this.

My mom just renewed her health insurance policy to cover what Medicare doesn't at a cost of over $200 a month. Dr. visit co-pays and meds, even with this, are outrageous.

Now, the Tea Party has "town halls" planned to push their Medicare voucher agenda:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/03/tea-party-medicare-paul-ryan_n_917347.html

Yes, this is the thing that most people don't understand about medicare, or any national health service for that matter, it's not free. My parents just did the same thing and that $200 a month insurance only covers the 20% that medicare doesn't cover. How much do people think that it would cost to cover a retired person at 100%? this voucher system is ridiculous.